Update: TDOT identifies worker killed in Crockett County

CROCKETT COUNTY, Tenn. — The Tennessee Department of Transportation has released the name of the man killed Wednesday morning when struck by a vehicle while flagging traffic near Alamo.

James “Pee Wee” Hopkins, 63, was struck by an oncoming vehicle and killed, according to a TDOT release.

No other TDOT workers were injured, according to the release. The crash is under investigation.

Hopkins had been with the department since 1996, according to the release. He was hired as a highway maintenance worker and was promoted in 2005 and again in 2014 to become an Operations Technician 2.

“We lost one of our own today, and it breaks your heart for the family and for the TDOT family across the state,” Gov. Bill Haslam said in the release. “It’s a good reminder to all of us of the many state employees who work in dangerous jobs every day to serve our state and their fellow Tennesseans. We are grateful for them.”

“This is the second tragic loss suffered by our department in just a matter of weeks,” Commissioner John Schroer said in the release. “I urge all motorists to slow down, be aware of their surroundings and minimize the distractions in their vehicles. The lives of our workers depend on it.”

Counselors will be provided for fellow employees in Region 4 in West Tennessee and across the state as needed.

Hopkins’ death is the second TDOT fatality in three months, according to the release. Since 1948, 111 TDOT workers have lost their lives while working on Tennessee roadways.